Snake Bytes, 2/22: Sun Burnes

The rest of the pitchers? Less so.

Recaps

[AZ Central] Diamondbacks ace right-hander Corbin Burnes deals a strong inning in Cactus League – “Always good to knock some rust off and get out there and have a relatively quick one,” Burnes said. “For me the most important thing is they get into a rhythm and they start to understand what’s going on in each other’s mind,” manager Torey Lovullo said after the game, of Burnes and Moreno working together. “That’s a process that takes time.” Moreno challenged two ball calls by the home plate umpire, and both were overturned to strike for Burnes as shown in the pitch location graphic. “He looked at me like ‘Should I do it?’ (I said) ‘Go ahead, you’re the one catching back there,'” Burnes said of Moreno. “‘You know the zone better than I do.’ Good thing he did.”

[Venom Strikes] Corbin Burnes sharp in Diamondbacks spring opener – Geraldo Perdomo, fresh off a $45 million extension, keyed a third-inning rally. Perdomo turned around a 1-2 fastball in the heart of the zone for a double. Ketel Marte singled him home to end his day and Eugenio Suarez singled home two more to make it a three-run inning. That inning was a demonstration of what this offense is capable of. Another big inning came in the fifth inning. Trailing 5-3, it was three non-roster guys who sparked this rally. Garrett Hampson opened the inning with a single to right, then advanced to third with only one out. Tristin English cashed in on the chance with a sharp single to left to make it 5-4. Ildemaro Vargas then crushed a fly ball down the right field to put the Diamondbacks ahead 6-5.

[SI] Corbin Burnes and Gabriel Moreno Have Great First Start Together for D-backs – Burnes said it’s important for him to get in a game early and get an extra outing in spring training. “I can’t remember which camp it was, maybe 2021 or 2022. I was limited to four, I think. Just kind of slow working in. Just didn’t quite feel ready going into opening day that year. And took a couple to kind of feel like my legs are underneath me and kind of spinning things well. So for me, I’d rather err on the side of getting the games a little bit too early,” Burnes said. Burnes was satisfied to be in the zone and throwing strikes. He seemed a little bit ahead in terms of command of his pitches.

[Dbacks.com] Burnes sharp in D-backs’ spring opener: ‘I like to get in early’ – “I like to get in early, get an extra one outing in an actual game at camp,” Burnes said after his outing in the D-backs’ 12-8 loss Friday to the Rockies at Salt River Fields. “For me, it’s just the more time I can get on the mound in a game situation, the more comfortable I can feel, and the better I feel I can get for the season as far as getting everything moving and pitches working… It’s gonna take two or three for me to feel like I’ve got everything kind of in control. We were in the zone, which is good to start with. So now it’s just kind of working my way to the edge of the zone. Was a little too over the middle of the plate today. I think we’re a little bit ahead of schedule as far as how things are feeling and kind of commanding the stuff.”

Team news

[SI] D-backs’ Manager, Gives Important Health and Lineup Updates – The manager said left-hander Jordan Montgomery will throw a bullpen on Saturday. Montgomery faced a minor delay in his throwing program as a result of an index finger strain, but began his program on Tuesday. Lovullo said Montgomery is “throwing the ball well.” The manager also noted that catcher Adrian Del Castillo is dealing with a sore arm and will DH for the first round of games. “Nothing too alarming, just the normal bumps and bruises. He’ll get his at-bats, that’s the most important thing right now. And then we’ll have plenty of time to get him ramped up behind the plate,” Lovullo said.

[Just Baseball] Where Does Jordan Lawlar Fit in the D-Backs Plans? – With Lawlar on the brink of becoming a full-time Major Leaguer, I think it makes the most sense to have Lawlar be the one to switch positions. Lawlar is an elite athlete and certainly possesses the glove to play another infield position if given the time to get more reps. It would be logical to have a shortstop shift to second base, but with Ketel Marte manning the position, there’s no path for this to be an option for Lawlar currently. This leaves the D-Backs with likely one other option, and that is to move Lawlar to third base.

[ESPN] Marlins claim right-handed reliever Seth Martinez off waivers – The Miami Marlins claimed right-handed reliever Seth Martinez off waivers Thursday from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Martinez was designated for assignment Monday by the Diamondbacks when they finalized a $1.35 million, one-year contract with right-hander Kendall Graveman that can be worth up to $3.3 million. Arizona got the 30-year-old Martinez off waivers from the Houston Astros after the end of last season. Martinez had a 3.59 ERA in 44 games for the Astros in 2024 and was 6-6 with a 3.93 ERA in 111 games since making his big league debut with them in 2021.

And, elsewhere…

[Cronkite News] Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the League: Is MLB’s competitive balance broken? – “It’s clear that we have fans in some markets that are concerned about the ability of the team in their market to compete with the financial resources of the Dodgers,” Manfred said. “We sell competition at the end of the day and you would expect them to be concerned.” The total payroll across MLB was $3.2 billion in 2012, according to Spotrac. In 2025, it is $4.7 billion. The New York Yankees had the highest tax payroll in 2012 at $222 million. Now, it is the Dodgers at $392 million. As teams at the top spend increasingly more money, the teams at the bottom haven’t. The Marlins payroll in 2025 is $47.1 million, the league’s lowest. In 2012, the Houston Astros were the lowest at $54 million. MLB is the only major North American professional sports league without a salary cap or floor.

[Yahoo] Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger impress as Yankees top Rays in spring opener – Marcus Stroman fittingly received the opening start. The veteran right-hander worked one inning, in which he allowed two hits and struck out one (13 pitches). Stroman’s role is currently undefined, but if the team enters Opening Day with a fully-healthy rotation, he’s most likely the odd man out. The newest additions to the lineup made strong first impressions at the plate. Cody Bellinger reached base in his first at-bat with a soft single through the Rays’ middle-infield shift, and Paul Goldschmidt crushed a changeup that dented the left-center field wall for an RBI double. The sluggers combined for four at-bats with two strikeouts. [Jim: this is… going to take getting used to!]

The MiLB team we went to see last summer has an important statement: